Letters to Heckrodt
Thinking back on my first year as a naturalist at Heckrodt and how nervous I was leaving the comforts of small town living with friends and family all around me. I moved here from a place where I could walk into a store and know at least one person and having grandparents living blocks away, to a place I’ve never been and not knowing a single soul. After years of working at Heckrodt, I slowly learned that I do have a different type of family here in the Fox Valley. I have my co-workers who have become my work family. The laughs, tears, and milestones we have shared together over the years. The joy, I get teaching their young kids and watching their kids grow up and become young adults. I have family in the volunteers who make Heckrodt successful. It is always a great day at Heckrodt when volunteers stop in to chat and say hi to the staff. They care so much about this organization to give their time and talents, and I love them all dearly. And lastly the friendships that were created with those who hike daily or weekly at the Reserve. The ones you see on the trail and stop to chat about wildlife as well as their families. You look forward to seeing their happy faces each day. The moments of worry when you stop seeing them for a while, so you check up on them to make sure they are ok. Heckrodt has a way of creating family. It is so amazing to witness the friendships that were forged on the trails. And I am very thankful that I have a Heckrodt family that I have grown to love dearly in the last 13 years of working at Heckrodt. Just recently, I received a letter from a lady who not only hikes but also volunteers at Heckrodt. Reading this letter brought tears to my eyes. This got me thinking about asking others for their letters to Heckrodt as well. And soon I had this beautiful video created from their letters with their sentiments of Heckrodt.
Written by: Andrea Bierbrauer – Heckrodt Naturalist/Early Childhood Program Manager
Please take time the time to watch this video:
Letters to Heckrodt